After polishing off nearly 3 pounds of poultry, I was in the mood for plant-based food. So as soon as I watched Samantha Seneviratne prepare a batch of root vegetable and barley stew, I craved a bowl (despite her son’s “terrible” review).
I’m a fan of the recipe for a few reasons:
- It calls for very basic ingredients, many of which you likely have on hand.
- It comes together quickly – i.e., in under an hour.
- It cooks in one pot, so clean-up is a breeze.
And, of course, root vegetable and barley stew tastes good! I’ve been enjoying it with crusty bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now that it’s gone, I wish I doubled the quantity.
Recipe adapted from Food52.
Root Vegetable and Barley Stew
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for finish
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 cups diced root vegetables (see notes*)
- ½ cup pearl barley, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons whole-milk plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- freshly squeezed lemon juice (for finish, optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add root vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add barley and vegetable broth; stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
- Remove about 1 cup of vegetables and liquid from pot and purée; return to pot. Stir in yogurt, dill and lemon zest. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide stew among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, if using, and top with additional dill.
Notes
I used a mix of carrots, golden beets, russet potatoes and sweet potatoes.
